Ode to the Cauliflower

It was on the news again this week that Britons have fallen out of love with cauliflower as sales of the the once-popular vegetable plummet.

The decline in consumption is blamed on children and young adults who view cauliflower as an old-fashioned vegetable which is difficult to cook. Difficult to cook??? They are so easy to cook and you can practically add it to everything and anything.

One wholesale supplier told The Grocer that sales were suffering as cauliflower had been an expensive vegetable which has further put shoppers off. Expensive??? Where do these people shop? A head costs less than £1.

Cauliflower or broccoli always ended up in  my shopping basket. So  what's your take on the Brassica oleracea? Do you like it Aloo Gobi-style with potatoes? Do you fancy it with cheese? What about florets eaten raw with dips? Or a quick stir-fry?

I love all the above although not so keen on eating them raw. Our favourite will always be Cauliflower au gratin and Spanish rice. We recently had the gratin with grilled lamb chops and chips for dinner to celebrate this wonderful and versatile vegetable.

Babe joined me for my lunch break walk on Tuesday.  As we walked past the Nursery lake, we spotted this heron being harassed by a pair of crows. I guess their nest must be nearby. The heron kept on ducking and quacking but in the end gave up. He flew to the opposite end of the lake where a family of coots with chicks were feeding. Thankfully, they were well-hidden among the reeds.

We then walked towards Heronbank lake where we finally spotted the resident swan and her family. The 5 adorable, fluffy cygnets have blossomed beautifully and they looked well. They were always flanked between their protective, proud parents.

Along the banks of the lakes were literally hundreds of goslings of various stages of development. I even counted a pair with at least 20 chicks. How on earth do they manage? I find it very comical when they ran towards me flapping their featherless wings. They quickly ignored me when they found out that I came empty-handed. Smart birds :-)

As we walked back to the office, we spotted a wagtail basking in the sun. An angry wren was making a lot of noise from the nearby bushes. I could hear a familiar twittering and when I looked up I saw this pair of colourful goldfinches.  They were still around. It was good to see them. There were baby bunnies feeding along the path, oblivious to their surroundings.

I went back to work while Babe continued his adventure at Brandon Marsh. I’m soo jealous. I’m stuck in the office and I just want to be out in the open…Babe came home with these lovely shots. I’m turning green…

The whitethroat was still flitting in and out of the bushes  in front of East Marsh Hide. And she was joined by a Sedge Warbler. I haven’t seen one before and would love to see it.

Babe also managed to get a photograph of the Great Crested Grebe chick riding on his Daddy’s back. Isn’t that utterly gorgeous? And I bet if I’m there, they will be right in the middle of the lake. It’s just not fair.

And I wish I was there to see this. When I saw it, all I could think of a scene from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  Guess who won? It’s the moorhen. Just look at those big claws attached to even bigger feet!!! I definitely don’t want to be caught in the middle.

I’m drowning with work at the moment. Literally surrounded with trolleys and shelves  of books. But, hey ho…what do you expect when you cut staff from 9 to 4.5? We just do our best.

I’m off tomorrow for a much needed break. We are going to spend the weekend with CEK in Aberystwyth, where the sea meets the mountains. Did I say sea? Ooh, how I missed the sea. The first thing I’m going to do is have a long dip. Couldn’t wait?

Also to check out the majestic kites. Really, really missed them. I hoped to see Jax who had an operation on Monday. Maybe not cos she needs plenty of rest. Get well soon Jax.

Congratulations to YB. She’s flying high joining the management team. Well done. It’s lonely up there but you know where we are. Sorry couldn’t attend your leaving do.

For RE, who’s joining her partner in London, mazal toy* and do keep in touch.

 

*Good luck in Hebrew